1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a template that is used to construct an after-market wiring harness for use in vehicles that have wiring needs beyond those provided by the manufacturer of the vehicle.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Many vehicles, such as police cars, the fire chief's car, tow trucks, and construction site trucks, have various devices installed onto the vehicle after the vehicle is built in standard fashion at the factory. Such after-market devices include computer terminals, various lights and light bars, sirens, communication radios, etc. Typically, the car is manufactured in standard fashion and delivered to the end user with these various after-market devices installed after the original vehicle manufacturing has occurred. This is due to the fact that each particular end user has differing needs from similar end users and the custom installation of differing devices for a particular end user is very cost-prohibitive to a large vehicle manufacturer. This is especially true in light of the fact that there are a myriad of devices that can be installed (for example, there are a large number of different types of light bars that can be installed onto the roof of a police car) and inventorying and having the knowledge base to perform each such installation in a large vehicle manufacturing plant that relies on a fast moving assembly line is quite daunting.
Accordingly, the vehicles are customized to the specifications of a particular end user after the original vehicle has left the factory. A customization shop is employed to perform the installation of the desired devices for a particular vehicle. This customization shops receives the specifications from the end user and installs the devices in a cost-effective manner. The customization shop carries the knowledge base for installation requirements for each product to be installed or can acquire the knowledge as new products are introduced, in a more efficient manner than can be achieved at the vehicle factory.
Typically, one of the first steps taken in the customization process for electrical and electronic components to be installed, once the device architecture is finalized, is to run electrical wire from the vehicle's electrical power source to the approximate point of each product to be installed so that as each product is installed, it can be electrically coupled to its appropriate wire in order to couple that device to the vehicle's source of electrical power. One method utilized to accomplish the installation of the wire is to install each run of wire individually in sequence, until all the necessary wiring runs are made. However, this method is time consuming as each run has to overcome various hurdles, such as passing through the fire wall of the vehicle or being inserted into the roof pillar of the vehicle. Additionally, having many individual runs of wires installed can create a messy and cluttered effect.
To combat these problems, many customization shops will precut each wire run that is needed, and once so cut, assemble all of the runs into a wiring harness, place the wiring harness into a conduit, and install the complete harness in the vehicle. This allows the installer to have to make only one pass through the fire wall, one installation into the vehicle's roof pillar, etc. Additionally, the wiring harness leaves all of the wires so installed, compact and organized. This is achievable due to the fact that only a handful of vehicles are typically used for special service vehicles, such as police cars, and each vehicle of a specific type has the same dimensions. The distance from the electrical power source to the back lights of the vehicle that need to continuously flash during pursuit or to the point where a computer will sit for use by a police officer is identical for each vehicle of a particular type. Therefore, if the vehicle is to receive front and rear flashing lights (wigwag), both original factory and added blue and/or red, a light bar, a siren, a computer, and a two-way radio, the customization shop can quickly ascertain the wiring run distance needed for each such device and can assemble a wire harness, place the harness into a conduit, and install the wire harness and conduit as a unit into the vehicle.
The problem with this method is that during the cutting process, mistakes in measurement with respect to the length of an individual wiring run can be made, or mistakes in measurement with respect to the turn out point from the main harness for a particular wiring run can be made. As such mistakes may not be caught until late in the installation process and as many end users have requirements that all after-market wiring be contained within the conduit of the wiring harness, such mistakes can be time-consuming and costly.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a system that can allow a customization shop to completely and accurately prepare a wiring harness for after-market installation of various electrical components, which system overcomes the above stated problems found in the art. Such a system must allow quick and accurate measurement of each particular wiring run without the need to resort to bulky manuals and with minimal possibility of leaving a particular run short. Such a system must allow a customization shop to assemble the wiring harness per specifications and thereafter to encase the completed harness into a conduit for subsequent installation into a vehicle. Ideally, such a system will allow for dynamic adjustment of the length of the runs in the event that the size of the vehicle changes or if a change of placement within the vehicle of some electric devices occurs.